Boiler-feed system.



J. WILKINSON.

BOILER FEED SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY31,1912.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

Inventor:

w n .m m m u W m s :l e H m JHW b J. WILKINSON.

BOILER FEED SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1912.

1,105,736. Patented Aug. 4, 191% 2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

Witnesses:

lnventor": I M JamesWilKinson 91 i /7 by WM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WILKINSON,

OF FOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'IO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BOILER-FEED SYSTEM.

I Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WILKINSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Feed Systems, of which the following is a specification. The present invention relates to boiler feed systems wherein a plurality of boilers is arranged in a battery for supplying steam to turbines or other steam consuming apparatus.

At the present time great difiiculty is experienced in getting boiler attendants to properly operate their boilers so that each will perform its share of the total work. This is due chiefly to the fact that said attendants have no means of telling just what proportion of the total load their boilers 1l1ary meter 10 with its Pitot tubes or nozshould carry.

My invention has for its object to overcome the objection above noted and to provide means whichautomatically indicate at each boiler the proportion of the a total amount of steam that it should deliver.

My invention also includes means for indicating to the attendant when his boiler is furnishing its share of the total load and also means for indicating at some suitable point the Work being performed by each boiler and its relation to the total work.

For a complete understanding of my invention attention is directed to the following specification wherein I have illustrated certain forms which my invention may take.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a. diagrammatic representation of a bat-v tery of three boilers equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a dla am showin the electrical circuits in the installation s own in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagram of. circuits showing telltale indicators at Some distant point; Fig. 4 is a section f the header showing the Pitot nozzles; a d Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of master meter.

Each boiler 1 1s connectedby a riser 2 with a common header 3 which conveys the steam to the turbines or other consumptive apparatus. At some point in said header between the last boiler and the engine is inserted a pressure difference responsive device, such as the Pitot nozzles 4, 5 connectboiler meters.

ed by the pipes 6, 7 with the two legs of a U-shaped tube 8 containing a body of mercury 9. One of the nozzles faces toward the direction of the flowing steam as indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, and is called the leadmg nozzle while the other nozzle faces in the opposite direction and is called the trailing nozzle. The pipes leading from the nozzles to the U-tube are marked L and '1 respectively to indicate their connection to the leading and trailing nozzles. The action of the steam flowing through the header (past the nozzles 4, 5 produces a pressure iflerence 1n the two legs of the tube 8 that bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the steam so that the mercury will stand ata higher level in the leg connected to the trailing nozzle.

At each boiler is located a similar auxzles 11 in the riser connecting said boiler with the header, so that these meters will indicate theflow of steam supplied by their respective boilers. Adjacent to each boiler meter is a tier of visual indicators, prefei ably electric lamps 12. Any number may be used, but I find that four is sufficient for ordinary installations. Each lamp has one terminal grounded and the other terminal connected to an insulated contact 13 pro jecting through the wall of the low pressure leg of the master meter 8, so as to be submerged by the mercury column in that leg when it rises to the level of said contact. The several contacts are inserted at different levels in said tube corresponding with the positions of their respective lamps at the The lamps at the several boilers are connected in multiple, as shown in Fig. 2. A battery 14: is connected to the mercury in the master meter, one of its terminals being grounded.

In operation, the rise and fall of the mer cury in the low pressure leg of the master meter will successively close and open the circuits of the lamps by its contact with their contacts 13, so that the fireman at each boiler can see how the total flow .of H

steam in the header 3 is fluctuating.- By observing at the sametlme the level of the mercury in the auxiliary metr'lO of his boiler, he can see whether that--- boiler is carrying its share of the tatal load. If the mercury in his meteris above or below the topmost lamp late his fire to bring-the top of his mercury column level with said lamp.

Fig. 3 shows how a telltale can be arranged on the bridge of a ship or at any other distion, as shown. Moreover, another indicating circuit may run from each boiler meter to the distant station, so that the oflicial atsaid station can see not only the total flow of steam but ascertain at the same time the performanceof each individual boiler. Such circuits are shown. in Fig. 3, the tiers of lamps 17 at the bridge being connected in multiple circuit contacts in the low pressure leg of said boiler meters. A battery 19 is in circuit with --the mercury in said boiler meters. Adjacent each boiler meter I also provide a tier of lamps 18 connected in series with the lamps '17. These lamps will indicate at the respective meters the position of the mercury in thelegs of theU-tubes, and may be compared with lamps 12 in lieu of the meniscus of the mercury column as used in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of master meter in which the electrical contacts are arranged at varying distances apart, increasing from bottom. to top, to correspond with the increasing deflection of the mercury with increasing flow of steam in the header. This construction enables the meter to indicate equal increments of fi0W.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now considerto represent the best embodiment thereof; but, I desire to have it, understood thatthe apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means. v w v ,VVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is, l. The combination with a' battery of boilers having a common header and connections whereby the boilers feed into-said common header, of a master steamflow meter for said header, an auxiliary flow meter for each connection, and means for indicating at each auxiliary meter-the variations of the master meter.

2; The combination with battery of boilthat is alight, 11 will regusaid lamps in succession as the flow ers having a common header and connections whereby the boilers feed into said common header, of a master steam flow meter for said header, an auxiliary flo'w meter for each cohnection, and electrical means for indicating at each auxiliary meter the variations of the master meter. 7 j

3. Thecombination with a battery of boilers having a common header and connections whereby the boilers feed into said common header, of a master steam flow meter for said header, an auxiliary flow meter for each con,- nection,-a tier of electric, lamps .adjacent to each auxiliary meter, andmeans for lighting said-lamps in succession as the flow of steam in the header increases and for extinguishing sa1d lamps as said flow diminishes.

4E. The combination with a battery of boilers having a commonheader and connections whereby the boilers feed into said common header, ofa master steam flow meter for said header, an auxiliary flow meter for each connection, and electrical means for indicating i at each auxiliary meter and also at a distant station the variations of the master meter. 7 5. The combination with a battery of boilers having a common header and connections whereby the boilers feed into said common header, of I a master steam flow meter for said header, an auxiliary flow meter for each connection, a tier of electric lamps adjacent to each auxiliary meter, means for lighting said lampsin succession in the header increases tier of telltale lamps in series with the aforesaid tier and located at a distant station for indicating thereat the variations of said auxiliary meters.

6. The combination with a battery of boilers having a common header and connections whereby the boilers feed into said common header, of a master steam flow meter for said header, an auxiliary flow meter for each connection, a tier of electric lamps adjacent to each auxiliary meter, means for lighting of steam in the header increases and for extinguishing 'said lamps as said flow diminishes, and

means at a distant station for indicating the variations of ,each auxiliary meter.

" In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of May, 1912.

JAMES WILKINSON.

' Witnesses I RAND W. HENIOK, W. M. WATKINS.

as the flow of steam I and for extinguish: ing said lamps as said flow diminishes, and a 

